New Acyclic Neutral Phosphorus Sulfides and Sulfide Oxides

A great number of binary neutral phosphorus sulfides was discovered and investigated. However all stable representatives of this family of compounds adopt a polycyclic structure in contrast to their lighter homologues, the nitrogen oxides. Acyclic representatives can be stabilized by adduct formation with a nitrogen base. The bis(pyridine) adduct py₂P₂S₅ of the unstable acyclic phosphorus sulfide P₂S₅ is readily obtained stirring P₄S₁₀ in pyridine at ambient temperature. X‐ray diffraction studies on single crystals of py₂P₂S₅ · 0.5 py ( 1b ) show a N₂O₅ like structure for the P₂S₅ framework. The long P–N distances of 1.86 Å indicate only weak coordination of the pyridine molecules to phosphorus. Single crystal X‐ray diffraction studies on py₂P₂S_4.34O_0.66 ( 2 ) reveal the presence of py₂P₂S₄O ( 3 ) together with py₂P₂S₅ in the crystal. Compound 3 contains the mixed phosphorus oxide sulfide molecule P₂S₄O stabilized as bis(pyridine) adduct. It is readily obtained from pyP₂S₅ by oxidation with KMnO₄ in pyridine. The oxygen atom occupies the bridging position between the two phosphorus atoms. Quantum chemical calculations at the MPW1PW91 level of theory as well as DTA/TG thermal analyses confirm the weak coordination of the pyridine molecules in py₂P₂S₅, py₂P₂S₄O, and py₂P₂S₇ to phosphorus.